- Paperback: 249 pages
- Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute (Jun 1 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1882926757
- ISBN-13: 978-1882926756
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 14 x 2.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 318 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #626,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
A fugitive from Nazism who saw little worth in any form of liberalism, Austrian philosopher Voegelin (1901-85) attracted much American conservative interest during and beyond his 20-year U.S. sojourn (1938-58). Since he held that humanity's relationship with transcendent reality was the motor of history, and thus that religion was fundamental to society--specifically, Christianity was fundamental to Western civilization--Christian intellectuals, too, were intrigued. But Voegelin deflected all isms, considering conservatism a shallow reaction to liberalism, and he never personally professed any faith. Moreover, he wrote for his professional peers, freely coining and adapting terms to fit his concepts, and that made his books forbidding to general readers. By concentrating on Voegelin's political philosophy, and with the aid of a hefty glossary of his terms, Federici makes accessible this extraordinary thinker's ideas. In a century addicted to five-year plans and new deals, Voegelin drafted no stairway to paradise, saw no end to history. Yet anyone who suspects that spirituality is more important to human fulfillment than ideology must encounter Voegelin. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
extremely helpful guide to Voegelin,
This review is from: Eric Voegelin: The Restoration of Order (Paperback)
Because he had so much to say about the crisis of the West and how to restore order, it is unfortunate that Voegelin's writings are so dense, owing both to his abstract thinking and his coining of new terms, often in Greek. However, Federici has written an excellent book that functions wonderfully as an introduction to Voegelin's thought and that would be an excellent companion to have by your side when reading Voegelin himself. (The glossary of Voegelinian terms is especially helpful in this regard.)Even so, because Voegelin's work is so difficult, so loaded with new terms and complicated ideas, Federici's book also acquires an element of this density--probably unavoidable, but clarity does suffer somewhat at various points. Nevertheless, what emerges--even in the less clear parts--is a coherent picture of the corpus of Voegelin's work and thought. He sought to articulate a way out of a crisis that had been precipitated, by and large, by movements, particularly ideologies, that had distorted reality--for example, by immanentizing the transcendent. His solution, to put it extremely simply, was to revive Western tradition, largely through a greater openness of the soul to transcendent reality, to the past experiences of civilization. Voegelin was not without his critics, but his influence is far-reaching. Anyone interested in the disease that afflicts the West would do well to turn to Voegelin. And thanks to Federici, we now have a great starting point to do just that.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
extremely helpful guide to Voegelin,
By Yalensian - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eric Voegelin: The Restoration of Order (Paperback)
Because he had so much to say about the crisis of the West and how to restore order, it is unfortunate that Voegelin's writings are so dense, owing both to his abstract thinking and his coining of new terms, often in Greek. However, Federici has written an excellent book that functions wonderfully as an introduction to Voegelin's thought and that would be an excellent companion to have by your side when reading Voegelin himself. (The glossary of Voegelinian terms is especially helpful in this regard.)Even so, because Voegelin's work is so difficult, so loaded with new terms and complicated ideas, Federici's book also acquires an element of this density--probably unavoidable, but clarity does suffer somewhat at various points. Nevertheless, what emerges--even in the less clear parts--is a coherent picture of the corpus of Voegelin's work and thought. He sought to articulate a way out of a crisis that had been precipitated, by and large, by movements, particularly ideologies, that had distorted reality--for example, by immanentizing the transcendent. His solution, to put it extremely simply, was to revive Western tradition, largely through a greater openness of the soul to transcendent reality, to the past experiences of civilization. Voegelin was not without his critics, but his influence is far-reaching. Anyone interested in the disease that afflicts the West would do well to turn to Voegelin. And thanks to Federici, we now have a great starting point to do just that. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Making difficult political theory concepts understandable,
By Carlo A. Garofalo - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eric Voegelin: The Restoration of Order (Hardcover)
As a former student of Dr. Federici, I can attest to his remarkable wielding of complicated subject material in the classroom; making difficult political concepts understandable. Out of a combined interest in civilizational cycles and respect for the author, I purchased this book. Dr. Federici conveyed his personal talent for expository. Eric Voegelin's difficulty for readers makes him nearly untouchable for undergraduates, nonetheless this book is written in a way that allows students and the public at large to access and understand Voegelin's writings. I recommend this book for college students seeking a source to write a political theory essay of unique perspective. I also believe it valuable for philosophy buffs and academics who may have overlooked Voegelin's work in the past.
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